WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The state’s first electric buses are coming to Wichita. The city’s first battery-powered bus will hit the roads this month, with 10 more expected to join the fleet next year. The city’s transit director, Mike Tann, scored a nearly $2 million federal grant to purchase four low-emissions buses from ProTerra. He has also bought seven smaller electric buses to replace aging buses that look like old trolleys using another grant. The buses will charge overnight and should have enough power to run 150 miles by morning. Wichita Transit estimates each electric bus will last 12 years and save the city $462,000 in that time compared to its diesel counterparts. Tan says the goal is to encourage people to use the bus system and burn less fossil fuel.
